Wire or cable dispensers are well-known in the art. These wire or cable dispensers may or may not be portable, may carry one or more spools of wire or cable, and may be comprised of stationary parts or a combination of stationary and moving parts.
One such cable or wire dispenser is described and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,634,610, issued to Walsh on Jun. 3, 1997. Walsh discloses and claims a portable wire dispenser for holding and dispensing one or more spools of electrical wire or television or computer cable. Walsh permits replacement of exhausted wire spools without disturbing remaining non-exhausted wire spools, and also prevents free spinning of wire spools as wire is dispensed. Walsh does this by means of a fixed support member (item 50 in FIG. 1 of Walsh) and by means of a rotatable member (60) positioned above the spools.
Other cable or wire dispensers are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,715,458, issued to Polglase on Aug. 16, 1955; U.S. Pat. No. 3,948,455, issued to Schwartz on Apr. 6, 1976; U.S. Pat. No. 4,006,854, issued to Gibson et al. on Feb. 8, 1977; U.S. Pat. No. 4,083,268, issued to Kober on Apr. 11, 1978; U.S. Pat. No. 5,152,395, issued to Cross on Oct. 6, 1992; U.S. Pat. No. 5,330,120, issued to Tussing on Jul. 19, 1994; U.S. Pat. No. 5,495,653, issued to Schrock et al. on Mar. 5, 1996; U.S. Pat. No. 5,551,647, issued to Browning on Sep. 3, 1996; Des. U.S. Pat. No. 253,022, issued to Sligh on Oct. 2, 1979; and U.S. Pat. No. Des. 304,534, issued to Gustafson on Nov. 14, 1989.